Mark Shaw: Life captures

The Kennedy family in the White House, Haute Couture, portraits of divas… The brief but intense career of a great photographer. Revolutionary in the freshness of his elegant images. Able to capture the true essence of an era

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Vogue Italia November 2013 -

Vogue Italia November 2013 -

With the same elegance, Mark Shaw could fly over the Hump, the greatly feared Himalayan chain, aboard a C-47, capture the sophisticated effervescence in the ateliers of Christian Dior on the eve of a collection, portray undisturbed the Kennedy family as if they were dear childhood friends.

For that way of his of arriving in a place with very little material, shooting and leaving swiftly as he came, discreet and silent, almost unobserved, he was nicknamed the fastest camera in the east.

Yet, he was a photography star, discovered and launched by Alexey Brodovitch, then employed by LIFE, in the golden years of reportage. What made Shaw unique was that way of his of passing through all situations on his toes, however always succeeding in capturing seemingly insignificant details, the essence of a person with few shots, in immortalizing the spirit of an era focusing on the essential.

For ten years or so, between 1952 and 1962, Shaw was one of the rare photographers who had the complete trust of Monsieur Dior, who let him photograph even the rehearsals before the catwalk show. As can be seen in the volume released by Rizzoli USA, Dior, Glamour, Mark Shaw, with a preface by Lee Radziwill and texts by Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni.